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43-45 After two days of teaching and conversation, Jesus proceeded to Galilee where His countrymen received Him with familiar smiles. After all, they witnessed His miracle at the feast in Jerusalem; but Jesus understood and often quoted the maxim: “No one honors a hometown prophet.”

These old friends should be the first to believe, but it takes outsiders like the Samaritans to recognize Him.

46-47 As Jesus traveled to Cana (the village in Galilee where He transformed the water into fine wine), He was met by a government official. This man had heard a rumor that Jesus had left Judea and was heading to Galilee, and he came in desperation begging for Jesus’ help because his young son was near death. He was fearful that unless Jesus would go with him to Capernaum, his son would have no hope.

Jesus (to the official): 48 My word is not enough; you only believe when you see miraculous signs.

Official: 49 Sir, this is my son; please come with me before he dies.

Jesus (interrupting him): 50 Go home. Your son will live.

When he heard the voice of Jesus, faith took hold of him and he turned to go home. 51 Before he reached his village, his servants met him on the road celebrating his son’s miraculous recovery.

Official: 52 What time did this happen?

Servants: Yesterday about one o’clock in the afternoon.

53 At that moment, it dawned on the father the exact time that Jesus spoke the words, “He will live.” After that, he believed; and when he told his family about his amazing encounter with this Jesus, they believed too. 54 This was the second sign Jesus performed when He came back to Galilee from Judea.

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43 After (A)the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified (B)that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, (C)having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For (D)they too had gone to the feast.

Jesus Heals an Official's Son

46 So he came again to (E)Cana in Galilee, (F)where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus (G)had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, (H)“Unless you[a] see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down (I)before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants[b] met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour[c] the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, (J)and all his household. 54 (K)This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

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Footnotes

  1. John 4:48 The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse
  2. John 4:51 Or bondservants
  3. John 4:52 That is, at 1 p.m.